FranklinWI
A town of 1,132.
Is Franklin a good place to live?
Franklin’s best subject grades are a B+ for cost of living and a B for schools; its weakest is a D for incomes. The biggest park or preserve is Sidie Hollow County Park, at 157 acres. Franklin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
1,132 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Franklin grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Franklin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Franklin: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Franklin, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Franklin.
Compared with most of Wisconsin and the rest of the country, more of Franklin’s residents live below the poverty line
Half of commuters travel less than 24 miles. 4.7% of working residents work locally in Franklin. Since 2013, Franklin has added 248 jobs, to 310 in 2023. The top destinations are Viroqua (22%), La Crosse (9%) and Cashton (3%).
| Franklin | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 24% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% | 11% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Franklin has snowy winters and pleasant summers
In Franklin, the midsummer high is 81°F, near the Wisconsin town median (82°F) and below the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The biggest natural risk in Franklin is inland flooding, at a high overall level
Of the losses FEMA expects in Franklin, 48% come from inland flooding and 32% from cold waves. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 65% of U.S. communities. The national flood insurance program has paid 30 claims in the town since 2007.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Residents of Franklin are healthier than 52% of U.S. towns
For adults in Franklin, the share who report frequent mental distress is 15%. In Franklin, 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours, against 32% in Wisconsin’s towns and 36% across U.S. towns. Two figures for adults in the town: 28% feel lonely, 19% binge drink.
| Franklin | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Franklin | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.9% | 6.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8% | 6.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Franklin has set aside 1.6% of its land for conservation
Across 2 parks and preserves: 1.2 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Franklin: 2, covering 158 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sidie Hollow County Park | 0.9 mi | 157 |
| 2. Wayside | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Franklin
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Franklin; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Franklin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
95% of working residents leave Franklin for work
Where Franklin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Franklin
Town in Wisconsin, United States
Franklin is a town in Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,106 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Fargo, Folsom, and Liberty Pole are located in the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 52 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,158 ft
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Franklin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Franklin, WI expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.